This invention relates generally to sighting devices for firearms, archery bows, or other projectile launching devices, and more particularly to a self-illuminated sighting device having a removable light collector, such as a fluorescent-doped optical fiber.
Sighting devices using short segments of light gathering optical fibers to form aiming points at different distances from the target are currently in use. Such optical fibers are typically fluorescent-doped with a color and thus have the capability of gathering ambient light along their length and transmitting that light to their ends. Under ideal lighting conditions, one end of the optical fiber typically serves as a bright aiming point with the brightness being directly dependent on the level of ambient light incident on the length of optical fiber. When the optical fibers become damaged or broken for various reasons, it is often difficult to replace such fibers, especially in the field when timing is critical to the hunt.
In addition, it is often difficult to change the color of a specific aiming point without replacing the entire pin assembly. Typically, replacing a damaged fiber or changing the color of a fiber requires replacement of the entire pin assembly, which results in the need to “sight in” the new sight pin assembly.